Capiz hog raisers told to fight ASF

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz — The Capiz provincial government urged hog raisers to protect their pigs amid the threat of African swine fever in the province.

“Kun tag-iya ka sang tangkal, kun nagaalaga ka sang baboy, i-protect mo ang tangkal, i-protect mo ang imo alaga”.

Provincial Information Officer and concurrent Provincial Human Resource Management Office head Atty. Luvim D. Amores made the statement during a press conference Monday morning, June 30, on the spread of ASF in Capiz.

Also present during the press conference were former provincial veterinarian and now consultant Dr. Leonel P. Abordo and officer-in-charge Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Lloyd A. Burata.

Amores said hog raisers play a key role in biosecurity, including keeping pigpens clean to help prevent the possible spread of the virus.

“We need the cooperation of the whole community including hog raisers and owners, stakeholders by reporting immediately if found a case of ASF”, she said adding that vaccine against ASF is not yet available.

Last week, Capiz Gov. Fredenil Castro issued an executive order banning the entry of live pigs, pork, pork products and byproducts, hog carrier vehicles, and hog traders into the province following confirmed ASF cases in nearby Negros Island and Iloilo province.

The order, issued Wednesday, June 24, prohibits the loading, transport, and sale of those products originating from or passing through ASF-positive and ASF-suspected areas.

African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs but does not pose a direct health risk to humans.

Castro also created the Provincial African Swine Fever Task Force, which was directed to confiscate pork products from traders attempting to enter the province.

Border checkpoints have been established at the boundaries of Tapaz, Dumarao, Pilar, and Maayon.

The National Veterinary Quarantine Services was directed to implement measures to prevent ASF from entering the province through seaports and airports.

Four towns in Capiz were placed under red zone status after suspected ASF cases affected local hog populations.

Burata, the newly designated Capiz provincial veterinarian, identified the affected towns as Panay and Panitan in the 1st District, and Ivisan and Sapian in the 2nd District.

Burata said his office is monitoring the affected areas and collecting samples from hogs to assess the situation before lifting the red zone designation.

He urged the public, particularly residents of the 2nd District, to inform their municipal agriculturists of any suspected ASF cases for proper action and disposition.

Burata said four other towns in the province have also reported cases of dying swine, though authorities have yet to determine whether ASF was the cause.

Meanwhile, the Roxas City Veterinary Office urged hog raisers to report swine deaths or signs of weakness to the office.

City Veterinarian Dr. Leah Ingalla said hog deaths suspected to be linked to ASF were reported in two Roxas City barangays, Balijuagan and Bago, where personnel from her office were deployed to inspect the animals and their enclosures.

Blood samples were collected and will be submitted to the regional laboratory to confirm the cause of death and illness.

Ingalla said eight to 10 hogs were reported dead in the affected areas due to suspected ASF infection.

In a separate incident Tuesday, June 24, 50 hogs in Barangay Banate, Pontevedra, Capiz, died of ASF.

The owner slaughtered and cooked the animals and distributed the meat to neighbors.